Railway car antisidesway device



Aug. 10, 1954 A. A. GASSNER ET AL 2,685,846

' RAILWAY CAR ANTISIDE SWAY DEVICE Filed March 7, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

Aug. 10, 1954 A GASSNER ETAL 2,685,846

RAILWAY CAR ANTISIDE SWAY DEVICE Filed March '7, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet, 2

IN V EN T OR.

52 25.4 0. fim.

Patented Aug. 10, 1954 RAILWAY CAR ANTISIDESWAY DEVICE Alfred A. Gassner, New York, N. Y., and James MacVeigh, Madrid, Spain; said Gassner as- Signor to American Car and Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 7, 1947, Serial No. 733,096

Claims.

This invention relates to vehicles and more particularly to railway cars.

In railway trains of the trailer type, the car bodies are suspended on a transversely extending axle structure carrying a wheel at each end and the adjacent ends of the cars are connected centrally by a draft coupling. The car framing is mounted for movement in various directions relative to the supporting axle structure. Such movement must be restricted and an object of this invention is to provide improved mechanism for controlling relative side movements of a car framing suspended on a supportin axle structure while allowing relative movement in other directions.

A further object of the invention is to provide resilient anti-side sway mechanism for a railway car framing suspended on a supporting axle with means for damping oscillations thereof.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a section of a trailer type of railway train.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the rear end of one of the cars.

Figure 3 is a rear end elevational view of the car.

Figure 4 is a view looking at the bottom of a portion of the anti-side sway device.

Figure 5 is a view looking at the bottom of the. damper for the anti-side sway device.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the anti-side sway device taken on line 6-6 of Fi ure 4.

The invention is shown associated with railway cars ill, of the trailer type, having a rearwardly located transversely extending axle structure H on the ends of which track wheels l2 are journalled. The track rails on which the wheels [2 operate are indicated by numeral IS.

The cars are similar and they include main underframing l4, center sill IS, a central rearwardly extending un'derframing l5, wheel housing framing l6 at each rear end of the main underframing side, rear framing pillars I! and rear end bulkheads l8.

The axle structure includes generally a lower transverse member I9, upper stub axles 2B and intermediate arm sections 21 carrying the stub axles and secured to the ends of the lower section l9. The track wheels 12 are journalled on the stub axles.

The rear end of the framing is resiliently suspended on the axle structure by strut devices 22 each of which is comprised of telescoping cylinders 23 and 24, the cylinders 23 being pivotally connected at 25 to brackets 26 fixed to the bulkheads I8. The lower ends of cylinder 24 are pivotally connected to hangers 21 journalled on the outer ends of the stub axles 20. The cylinders 23 and 24 are formed with flanges 28 and the ends of coil springs 29 bear against such flanges, such springs encircling the cylinder members of the strut devices. Such strut devices form the subject matter of co-pen'ding application Serial No. 733,098, filed March 7, 1947, now abandoned.

The axle structure is also connected with the framing by two similar devices 33 that take torque re-actions and act as radius arms. These devices have a ball joint connection 31 with the main underframing I4 and a rubber connection 32 with the stub axles 20. These devices include two rod members 33 and 34 pivoted together at 35. Such devices tie the axle structure to the framing but permit relative movement thereof in lateral, longitudinal and vertical directions. The subject matter of these devices is present in co-pending application Serial Number 729,236, filed February 18, 1947.

It will be seen that the rear end of the framing is resiliently suspended on the axle structure and is restricted in its torque responsive and longitudinal movements by the radius rod devices. Lateral or transverse movement of the framing relative to the axle structure is restricted by means forming the subject matter of this invention. Such means consists of devices 36 and 31 connected at their outer ends to the axle structure and at their inner ends to the framing preferably to a depending extension 38 of the rear draft coupling section 39 fixed centrally to the cross member l5 of the underframing. Such draft coupling will be found in co-pending application Serial Number 734,465, filed March 13, 1947, which has matured into Patent No. 2,630,230. The device 36 resists side sway forces tending to move the framing from centered position and device 3! is a damper for device 36.

Referring to Figures 4 and 6, the device 36 includes a cylinder 40 having caps 4i and 42 screwed on the ends thereof and within the cylinder is a piston 42' fixed to rod 43 that extends through cap 4| and has an eye extension 44 screwed into the protruding end thereof. This eye extension 44' projects into a slot 45 in one side of the draft coupling extension 38 and is journalled on bolt 45' secured across this slot. An eye member 46 is screwed into cap 42 and is pivotally,

- mounted on bolt 41 extending across a slot 48 in bracket 49. The lower ends of the axle sections 2| are bifurcated and form flanges 50 and 5| that are clamped on the axle section l9 by bolts 52. The front side of the flanges 50 are formed with flat surfaces "It and II and bracket 49 is secured to one of such faces H! by bolts 53 that also pass through the axle section 59. A pair of coiled compression springs 54 and 55 are arranged in cylinder 40 and act in opposite directions against piston 42. These springs are arranged to normally locate the piston rod so that the framing will be centered in a transverse direction, above the axle structure. Obviously these springs will oppose transverse movement or side sway of the car framing relative to the axle structure and will act to restrict framing sidesway.

Referring now to Figure 5, the device 31 is shown as comprising a rod 56 having a screw extension 51 pivotally mounted on bolt 58 extending across slot 59 in the lower side of draft coupling extension 38. There is a screw extension 60 on the other end of rod 56 that is journalled on a pin 5| carried by an arm 82 fixed to a movable fluid shock absorber vane shaft 63. The shaft 63 extends into a housing 64 having a flanged end 65 bearing against the flat front face H of arm flange 5i} and secured thereto by bolts 66 extending through the axle arm flanges 5|], 5! and the axle section l9. This shock absorber is of a conventional two-way type having a suitable vane member in the housing fixed to the shaft 63. As is customary with fluid shock absorbers, the rate of fluid flow through valving between the stationary and movable members determines the resistance.

The spring side sway resisting device carries all of the loading arising from forces tending to move the framing laterally with respect to the axle structure. The fluid shock absorber serves to limit oscillations of the springs in the side sway resisting device, that is it serves to damp oscillations of the springs in the anti-side sway device. In addition to restricting lateral shifting of the framing relative to the axle, the independency of devices 36 and 31 provides a factor of safety as either device will prevent side tilting of the framing if the other device is broken or disconnected. Thus, in the event either de vice 36 or 31 is broken or disconnected the other device will serve as a safety link. The herein described means for controlling lateral movement of the framing relative to the axle structure will function without interfering with the other relative movements of the framing and axle structure.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway car, a rigid axle structure comprising adepressed transverse central portion, an upwardly extending arm on either end thereof, and an outwardly extending stub axle on the upper end of each of said arms, track wheels mounted on said stub axles, body framing including an underfrarne portion at substantially the same level as said stub axles, outwardly and upwardly extending resilient strut means pivotally suspended from the outer ends of said stub axles and pivotally secured to said body framing at their upper ends, a central element depending from said underframe, a transversely extending resilient device connected at one end to the axle and at the other end to the depending element for resisting forces tending to move the frame laterally in either direction with respect to the axle structure, and a two-way transversely extending clamping device connected to the axle and the central element for damping lateral oscillations between the framing and the axle, said resilient device and said damping device being secured to said axle structure and to said depending element a substantial distance below the axis of said stub axle, thereby lengthening the moment arm resisting rotation and oscillation of the body framing about its longitudinal axis.

2. In a railway car, a rigid axle structure comprising a depressed transverse central portion, an upwardly extending arm on either end thereof, and an outwardly extending stub axle on the upper end of each of said arms, track wheels mounted on said stub axles, body framing including an underframe portion depressed between said track wheels, outwardly and upwardly extending resilient strut means pivotally suspended from the outer ends of said stub axles and pivotally secured to said body framing at their upper ends, a transversely extending resilient device connected to the axle and to the central portion of the underframe for resisting forces tending to move the frame laterally in either direction with respect to the axle structure, and a two-way transversely extending clamping device connected to the axle and the central portion of the underframe for dampening lateral oscillations between the framing and the axle, said resilient device and said damping device being secured to said axle structure and to said central portion or" the underframe a substantial distance below the axis of said stub axle, thereby lengthening the moment arm resisting rotation and oscillation of the body framing about its longitudinal axis.

3. In a railway car, a rigid axle structure comprising a depressed transverse central portion, an upwardly extending arm on either end thereof, and an outwardly extending stub axle mounted on the upper end of each of said arms, track wheels mounted on said stub axles, body framing including an underframe depressed between said track wheels, outwardly and upwardly extending resilient strut means pivotally suspended from the outer ends of said stub axles and pivotally secured to said body framing at their upper ends, central connecting means depending from said underframe, a transversely extending centering device connected at one end to the axle and at the other end to said central connecting means for resisting forces tending to move the frame laterally in either direction with respect to the axle structure, resilient means for actuating said centering device, and a two-way transversely extending damping device connected to the axle and said central connecting means for dampening lateral oscillations between the framing and the axle, said centering device and said damping device being secured to said axle structure and to the central connecting means a substantial distance below the axis of said stub axles, thereby lengthening the moment arm resisting rotation of the body framing about its longitudinal axis.

4. In a railway car, a rigid axle structure comprising a depressed transverse central portion, an upwardly extending arm on either end thereof, and an outwardly extending stub axle on the upper end of each of said arms, track wheels mounted on said stub axles, body framing including an underframe portion at substantially the same level as said stub axles, outwardly and upwardly extending resilient strut means pivotally suspended from the outer ends of said stub axles and pivotally secured to said body framing at their upper ends, a central element depending from said underframe, a transversely extending resilient device connected at one end to the axle and at the other end to the depending element for resisting forces tending to move the frame laterally in either direction with respect to the axle structure, and a two-way transversely extending damping device connected to the axle and said central element, said damping device being in substantially straight line relationship with said resilient device thereby to effectively dampen lateral oscillations in said resilient device, said resilient device and said damping device being secured to said axle structure and to said depending element a substantial distance below the axis of said stub axle, thereby lengthening the moment arm resisting rotation and oscillation of the body framing about its longitudinal axis.

5. In a railway car, a rigid axle structure, track wheels mounted on said axle structure, body framing including an underframe portion depressed between said track wheels, upwardly inclined resilient strut means pivotally suspended from the outer ends of said axle structure and pivotally secured to said body framing a substantial distance above said axle structure there by permitting substantial lateral as well as vertical movement of said body framing with respect to said axle structure, a transversely extending resilient device connected to said axle structure and to the central portion of said underframe for resisting forces tending to move the body framing laterally in either direction with respect to the axle structure, and a two-way transversely extending clamping device connected to the axle structure and to the central portion of said underframe for damping lateral oscillations between the framing and the axle structure, said resilient device and said damping device being secured to said axle structure and to said underfrarne a substantial distance below the axis of said track wheels, thereby lengthening the moment arm resisting rotation and oscillation of the body framing about its longitudinal axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESaPATENTS Number Name Date 981,131 Spangler Jan. 10, 1911 1,714,646 Thomann May 28, 1929 2,153,389 Perkins 1- Apr. 4, 1939 2,218,634 Best Oct. 22, 1940 2,349,610 Brunner May 23, 1944 2,352,039 Travilla June 20, 1944 2,360,748 Whisler Oct. 17, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 252,661 Italy Apr. 1, 192'? 

